Warmest day in 6 months kicks off classic spring week

Finally!

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Very little snow left now near the 11th hole at Deer Run Golf Club in Victoria, Minnesota. Image: Paul Huttner/MPR News.

Much of Minnesota enjoyed the warmest day in six months Monday. The thermometer hit 70 degrees at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. That's the first time since Oct. 20, 2017.

The Upper Midwest basked in 60s and 70s Monday. A deep blue cold pool remains over the northern Rockies, but the weather maps finally look like spring across most of the nation now.

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Temperatures Monday afternoon via Oklahoma Mesonet.

Tuesday sprinkles

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A fading front slides across Minnesota Tuesday. We'll see more clouds and a few spotty light showers or sprinkles.

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NOAA GFS model via tropical tidbits.

Sun returns Wednesday

After Tuesday we return to mostly sunny skies and milder weather. Highs in the 60s will be common this week. Even overnight minimum temperatures may stay above freezing in most of the Twin Cities this week. Temps push the 70 degree mark again this weekend.

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Instant spring

It really is amazing how we went from a blizzard to 70 degrees in about a week. Talk about weather whiplash.

The upper-air pattern looks favorable for mild weather as we move into early May. Note how the big blue blob that was anchored from Hudson Bay to Minnesota has shifted back toward the North Pole.

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NOAA

We knocked off our first 60 and 70 degree temps in the Twin Cities in a span of 48 hours. Can the first 80 be far behind? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System extended product suggests we may get close in early May.

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NOAA via Meteostar.

Stay tuned.